Chapter 4: Communicating with Your Client: The Design Brief

Designing a logo is similar to tackling a maze. The designer heads down a path, possibly meeting dead ends, before reaching the final successful outcome. The goal is to keep the dead ends to a minimum. So, before you set off on the long and challenging journey of designing a logo, you should put in place a plan to make the task of solving the problem much easier.

Your role as a logo designer is to create an effective solution to a problem. You’ll mainly achieve the final solution using visuals, but don’t underestimate the power of oral communication. A picture may be worth a thousand words, and that’s especially true when it comes to logos, but if you and your client don’t communicate well before the project begins, your concepts and ideas may end up being way off the mark.

Involving the client in your design process from the very beginning is essential, but don’t forget that you’re the design expert. For a designer, nothing is worse than feeling like the client is your puppet master, forcing you to use an array ugly of effects and common clichés. This chapter explains how you can avoid these problems through good, clear communication.

The Start of Something Beautiful: Communicating with Potential Clients

When a potential client contacts you about a logo design project, it’s a great feeling. (I still can’t believe I get paid to draw!) But drawing is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creating a logo. In this section, I walk you through the initial steps in working with a client—from responding to that initial inquiry to setting prices to watching out for red flags.

Responding to initial inquiries

Most potential clients will send you a short e-mail asking, “How much do you charge for a logo?” (Evidently, how much you charge is the most important factor.) So, how should you respond?

The best practice is not to name your rates right off the bat. First, you need to find out the specifics of the project and how much work it will entail. I always try to get clients on the phone by asking if they’d like to discuss the details so that I can give them an accurate quote. The ones who don’t respond either aren’t serious about wanting to hire someone or have found a designer who is willing to design the logo for next to nothing. Those who are willing to talk and share more information will see that you have their interests in mind and that you aren’t in it only for the money.

When you’re talking to a potential client on the phone, here are some questions you might ask to help form a quote:

• Do you have a rough idea of when you would need the logo by?

• When would you need work to begin?

• What will the logo be used for?

• Where will it be used?

• Do you have an idea of the kind of logo you’re looking for?

• Is your product or service a member of a brand family?

• Is the logo for an new identity or a re-brand?

• How much concept exploration are you willing to invest in?

Ideas don’t come for free

If you haven’t already, you’ll surely encounter a potential client who wants you to send some examples of your ideas for their logo, maybe even a few sketches before they pay you “so we know for sure whether we like the logo.” Never, ever give away your work for free.

You can tell the potential client that unless you have a design brief in place, it’s impossible to design a suitable logo. If they buy into the notion that the design brief is important, then they should see the value in your work and respect your prices.

Setting your price

How much does a logo cost? If you plan to make a career out of graphic design, that’s a question you’ll be asked many times. So, is it $50 or $500,000? In short, there is no set figure. A logo costs only as much as much as the client is willing to invest in the brand identity.

Unfortunately, most clients care about only one thing when they’re hiring someone to design their identity: how much it’s going to cost. There will always be designers who are willing to do a job for less money. Don’t worry about what other designers are charging—focus on what you think is a fair rate for the work involved. Clients worth working for recognize that a great logo offers competitive advantage through increased recognition and an improved connection with the target audience, and because it offers such an advantage, it’s a valuable investment.

Explaining your process

Most people outside the industry probably assume that graphic designers sit around all day playing with crayons and computers. In your early conversations with a potential client, explain that designing a logo entails more than picking up a pencil and drawing some pretty pictures. Talk the client through your process, outlining the different stages of development. You can even use this book’s table of contents as a way of listing all the things you do—conducting preliminary research, coming up with a concept, getting your ideas on-screen, and so on. That way, the client will get an insight into exactly how much work you put into designing a logo.

Showing your worth

If you already have a portfolio of work, provide a potential client with case studies where your work helped to improve a client’s brand identity. Real-world examples will show your potential client that your services are a worthwhile investment—one that has successful results. If you’ve carried out work for brands of a similar nature, talk the potential client through how you tackled the task and the reasoning for your design decisions.

Sensing danger

In your initial conversations with a potential client, not only are you trying to show evidence that you’re a highly skilled designer, but you’re also trying to gauge whether this client is one you want to work with. You want to be on the lookout for signs that the client might be more trouble than they’re worth. For example, if a potential client tells you that they’ve worked with a dozen different designers, and none of them provided a logo they were happy with, that’s a red flag. Maybe the client just hired a dozen incompetent people—but more likely, the client is impossible to please, and you won’t be any more successful than those other designers were.

Most freelancers, unless they’re very successful, can’t pick and choose which potential clients they want to work for—they have to take the work they can get, where they can get it. So, I’m not saying that you should be turning away work routinely. But pay attention to your gut instinct about whether you’ll be able to work with a potential client. Do your homework on the potential client—both the company as a whole and the person you’ll be dealing with. Use the Internet to find out as much as you can about them, especially if you’re getting an uneasy feeling.

Building a real relationship

Getting to know your client on a more personal level is far more beneficial than just sending e-mails. By meeting face to face, you can gain a greater insight into the project and get to know the person you’re dealing with. If the client has met you, they’re more likely to trust you and respect your decisions.

Reaching an agreement

You may find that some potential clients won’t be comfortable with reaching an agreement before meeting you first, which is entirely understandable. They may even want to finalize the design brief before a final go-ahead is sanctioned. Just make sure that you never agree to start work unless you have the basic documents in place for a designer-client relationship.

If there’s one rule when it comes to carrying out design work for clients, it’s to always be sure that you get them to sign a contract that clearly states the minimum requirements:

• Billing phases

• Payment terms and the agreed-upon payment method (Note: The common practice is to be given a down payment ranging from 30 percent to 50 percent before work is begun; then the remainder is paid upon delivery of the final files. Never agree for the entire payment to be made at the end of the project—that’s a risk you shouldn’t take.)

• How revisions and alterations will be handled

• Deadlines

• Terms for termination, cancellation, or putting the agreement on hold

• Rights of ownership

Be sure to get the client to agree to the terms that you set out for the project and make sure that both you and the client sign and date it. Don’t rely on a digital version of a contract—try to get a hard copy as well.

Seeking Project Specifications

After you and a new client have signed a contract, you’re ready to get started. The first step is to gather some information about the project. Sit down with the client (preferably in person), and ask the following questions:

• Why do you need a logo? Or why are you changing your logo? This is the big one. The answer to this question should briefly cover other important factors you’ll need to know such as:

• The nature of the business and what they do

• What the logo will be used for

• Where the logo will be seen

If the client’s answer doesn’t cover these areas, ask them directly.

• What’s the message? I find the answer to this question to be the most helpful because it makes the client think about what they want to communicate to the target audience. They have to get to the essence of the brand—how the brand will make the target audience feel and what they want the brand to be known for. This information will also help you make decisions about the overall visual style of the logo so that it can support this message. From the client’s answer, you can identify a number of key words relating to the brand image that you need to communicate to the target audience.

• What are your long-term goals for the brand? The client should be able to give you insight into the future of the brand, which you can keep in mind as you work on the design. For example, if the company is selling eggs right now but plans to sell chickens a few years down the road, you need this information so that your concept won’t cause conflict or limit the brand. Ask them to elaborate on whom they consider to be their current competition and whom they would like to compete with in the future. That will help you with your research.

• What makes you unique? Clients often find this question the hardest to answer. Every business or organization has some unique quality. They don’t have to be the first in their market, or even second, but at least one characteristic will set them apart from their competitors. When you’ve identified what makes the client unique, it may be worth exploring further, especially if these unique traits relate to their brand.

• Who is your target audience? Some clients will have employed the services of people who work on the marketing and brand strategy, so this information will already be available to you. With smaller companies, I advise them on who I think they should be targeting if they’re not sure.

Don’t be afraid to ask the client to elaborate on their answers, the more detail and information that they can provide, the better. You can never know too much about a project, but you can definitely know too little.

Guiding the Client

Like designers, not all clients are the same. Some clients don’t reveal much detailed information about the project. Others inundate you with more information than you could possibly need. Either way, they may try to influence the outcome of the design with their own suggestions. If this happens, remain calm and consider what the client is saying—on rare occasions, clients come up with the perfect solution, so you don’t want to dismiss their thoughts out of hand. If, after considering the client’s suggestions, you determine that they aren’t helpful, explain why you think the client’s ideas won’t work, and offer advice that will help to create an original logo.

Taste vs. design

I find that asking the client questions about their own personal tastes in design often leads to problems. Remember that art and design are subjective. The client has hired you to design a logo for a reason—you have a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t.

It doesn’t matter if the client’s favorite color is yellow—yellow won’t necessarily be the most effective choice for the client’s logo. Remind the client that you’re designing for a target audience, and all your design decisions will be made with that audience in mind.

Don’t be afraid to express your initial ideas, but at the same time be sensitive to the client’s feelings. If they make outlandish suggestions, remain professional, explain why the idea could harm their identity, and offer an alternative. A good client will know that your expertise is invaluable and understand that they’ve hired you to advise them on the best possible solution for their brand’s identity.

Elements of a Creative Design Brief

A creative design brief is a joint agreement between the designer and the client on the specifications that will lead to a successful solution. Many people think that the client provides the design brief, and the designer follows it. In a sense, the client does provide the brief, through the information that you gain from them, but the client shouldn’t write the brief without your input (besides, they probably don’t know how). You’re the one who will be using the brief, so you need to make sure that it’s written clearly and that there’s no room for confusion.

In this section, I outline all the basic elements of a creative design brief. Your brief may have more information than I’ve listed here, but it should at least include these pieces.

The design brief itself is not a work of art. You don’t need to spend hours making it look pretty—nobody will see it apart from the design team and the client, so save your creativity and time for the design of the logo.

Problem statement

The problem statement gives a brief summary of the overall task in one or two sentences.

Client profile

Having met the client or at least conversed with them in detail, you should know everything you need to about their brand, but if you’re working with a team, they may not all have had the same opportunity. The client profile is a short summary about the nature of the client and their history. It will help to educate anyone who uses the brief as a creative platform. Plus, it’s always handy to have the client profile written down, as a reminder for yourself.

Away from the competition

When I was working as a designer at an agency, I had a meeting with a client for whom we were designing a new identity. The client felt that we “hadn’t quite hit the nail on the head yet.” When I walked into the room for our meeting, I noticed that the client had a bunch of catalogues on her desk from the company’s competitors. The client pointed to several of the competitors’ logos and asked, “What about something like this? Or this?”

You’d be amazed by how many businesses want to look like their competitors. They mistakenly believe that companies already operating within the market have the single recipe for success. Your goal is to steer the client away from the competition so that they can stand out from the crowd.

Most clients don’t trust new ideas. After all, the success of a new idea hasn’t been proven yet, so clients are often apprehensive, making selling new and unique ideas seem like an impossible task. The key is to convince your client that their new business shouldn’t look like every other brand in the market. Being different is the best solution that you can offer.

I’ve found that it doesn’t matter how extraordinary the idea is, as long as it answers the brief. It would be impossible to identify a new emerging brand if they were using a logo that looks similar to ones that are already established.

Aims and objectives

The aims and objectives state the overall purpose of why the work is being carried out and how it will help the client. Be sure to include any specific requirements—for example, “to gain a wider understanding of the identity in a location or language that was previously unused.” The aims and objectives help create an overall picture of the problem you’re trying to solve.

Target audience

In this section, you summarize the characteristics that belong to the select demographic that the client is trying to appeal to. When targeting consumers, key demographics include the following:

• Gender

• Age range

• Geographic location

• Income bracket

• Occupation

• Social class

• Marital status

When targeting businesses or organizations, key demographics include the following:

• Industry type or sector

• Location

• Annual sales

• Size

Deliverables

This part of the brief details what the client will be expecting from you, such as the files, any style guides, or fonts (if you’re buying a license for them on their behalf). Also, explain the file types that the client can expect to receive, and break it up into necessary categories such as print and screen. This will help the client know exactly what they’ll be getting beyond just a pretty picture. If they require any special file types, include this information here (assuming it’s an output that you can offer).

Budget

This part of the design brief mentions not only how much you’ll be paid as the designer, but also any additional budgetary considerations such as:

• Print costs

• Research and development (including a set fee for detailed primary research methods—see Chapter 5)

• Conceptualization (if you have a price structure in place for a certain number of concepts)

• Any other design work fees (if you’re working on a complete brand identity as opposed to just the logo design)

Project timeline

This part of the design brief is where you decide how much pressure you want to put on yourself by clarifying the final deadline for the project. How long it takes to create a logo depends on:

• The speed of the designer or team taking on the task

• The depth of agreed exploration

• Whether the logo is part of a broader project such as brand identity

• When the client requires the final logo source files

One thing is for certain: Creativity should not be rushed. At the same time, you can’t keep the client waiting for years until you find that eureka moment that defines your career.

A Working Example

In this section, you’ll find an example of a creative design brief for a fictitious company.

Problem statement

Design the new logo for a new luxurious hand-made chocolate maker named Chapman’s Confectionery.

Client profile

Chapman’s Confectionery is a new venture started by two partners. They have been creating specialist handmade confectionery for the past six months, initially working from one of the partner’s homes, but they have now secured their first official premises. They operate in East Sussex in the United Kingdom. The products they create are mainly small, highly decorated individual chocolates, but they also offer the service of custom cake-making for special events and occasions. Chapman’s hopes to employ more staff in the near future and eventually convert the brand into a franchise.

Aims and objectives

The main aims and objectives of the project are as follows:

• Increase the growing reputation of the brand within the local community.

• Show that Chapman’s Confectionery is of a high quality and deliciousness unrivaled in the area.

• Make the business look like a professional organization.

• Increase trust in the eyes of potential customers and clients.

Target audience

The demographics of the target audience are as follows:

• Primarily females, but both genders are potential targets.

• 16 to 65 years old.

• People located in East Sussex and the surrounding areas. (This will expand over time.)

• Brides and bridesmaids.

• People who have a slightly higher level of disposable income.

Deliverables

The client will receive the following:

• Print-ready logo artwork files: EPS and AI

• Screen-optimized logo artwork files: JPEG, GIF, PNG, and PDF

• Logo usage guidelines: PDF and hard copy

• Business-card design (double-sided) print-ready file: PDF

• Any font licenses and font files that may be used to complete the project

All files will be posted to the client on a compact disc.

Budget

The budget for the new identity includes the following:

Research and development: $X

Conceptualization: $X

Fonts: $X

Total: $X

Project timeline

The initial concepts are to be presented to the client by December 29, 2011.

Final approval from the client is needed by January 31, 2012.